To Build a Home
by 1065482801109701
Summary: Jerome thought they had promised. But she broke that promise, and now she was with him. Years were spent chasing after her until one day, an unexpected wedding brings them together, uniting them at last. AU, slight Mickra, Mamber and Jara. Rated T for Swearing and sexual references.


_There is a house built out of stone__  
><em>_Wooden floors, walls and window sills__  
><em>_Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust__  
><em>_This is a place where I don't feel alone__  
><em>_This is a place where I feel at home_

"Now, Jerome, you best behave yourself," His mother commented as they neared the Jaffray's holiday house. "Yes, mum," he commented, fiddling with a loose fabric on his jacket. It seemed like every vacation he went on his parents wanted to get rid of him. He was fine with this for the first few times, but now it had become ritualistic. At least, he thought, he would be able to spend it with Mara. She was the reason the whole experience was bearable.

The tires of the car crunched as they pulled up in the gravel driveway, excitement finally piercing through the melancholy thought he felt. He leapt from the car, intent on finding Mara, not minding the sneers of his mother as she watched him. "Joan!" He heard Mara's mom call. "Hi Mrs. Jaffray! Where's Mara?" He asked, extremely excited. "She's out in the back, sweetie."

He bound through the house, and smiled as he saw her sitting in the backyard, reading. It was a hobby of hers, she always looked so intense as she read, her glasses occasionally slipping. "Whatcha reading?" He asked, slowing walking up to her, shoving his hands in his pockets nervously. "Hi Jerome, I'm reading about different gemstones and birthstones. It's quite funny actually." Sitting down on the warm grass next to her, he noticed how much she hadn't changed. No matter he age, she would always be Mara: caring, smart, and adorable.

"Well, what birthstone are you?" He asked, lying down, his hands resting lightly on his chest. "Sapphire... I think, if I'm not mistaken, that you are the Peridot." She mimicked him and lay down next to him, both of them now looking up at the clouds. "Mara, when we grow up, will you marry me?" Mara subtlety grabbed her glasses and started polishing them, a habit she indulged in when she was nervous. Placing them back on she asked," Are you asking me to marry you?" It was a big question for a nine year old and marriage seemed exceedingly far away. "Well, yea, promise that we'll marry each other when we grow old." She seemed to consider this for a moment before replying," I, Mara Jaffray, swear that when I grow older that I will marry Jerome Clarke."

Raising his hand, he did the same," I, Jerome Clarke, promise that when I grow older, that I will marry Mara Jaffray." The two laughed and resumed lying down, his stomach now in knots of excitement and her mind launched into a state of confusion. "Jerome?" She asked, turning her head so that she faced him. "Mm?" He asked, looking back at her similarly. Quickly as she could, she pecked his lips, feeling herself blush. "What was that for?" He asked somewhat dreamily. "I was sealing the deal." She replied somewhat sheepishly, hoping that he wouldn't press the topic. They kept that promise too until the burden of highschool pressed on them. When he heard that she was first enrolling in the school he was thrilled.

_There is a house built out of stone__  
><em>_Wooden floors, walls and window sills__  
><em>_Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust__  
><em>_This is a place where I don't feel alone__  
><em>_This is a place where I feel at home_

Secretly for years he was mustering the courage to ask her to be his, yet when she came, she seemed to forget about the real him and focus on his prankster facade. Slowly, their relationship deteriorated, and yet he would find himself waiting eagerly for summers where they would meet once again. The worst summer they had was when Mick decided to accompany them. From the way she stared at him with such adoration to his incoherent babbling about sports he almost wanted to scream in anguish. They arrived at the house, but instead of him sitting with her in the garden, Mick took it upon himself to ask Mara to help him with his college application.

"I really appreciate this, Maraculous," he said kissing her on the cheek. "I would do anything for you Mick!" She replied, grabbing a pen and getting started. Jerome watched all this in the corner, scowling at how oblivious she was. He was using her, there were no feelings of love between them, or at least on his part. Walking out the door to the garden, he felt a surprising sense of emptiness as he sat in their spot.

"Jerome, are you alright?" He perked up at Mrs. Jaffray's question. He pursed. His lips trying to think of a sensible answer. "I'm just stressed out with university and all that." Mrs. Jaffray smiled," I know that feeling. Seeing as your your almost legal, fancy a drink?" He could see some remnants of pity in her eyes. She knew. She always knew, probably due to her sense of motherly love. "That would be great."

As they made their way into the kitchen, he saw the couple still in the lounge, Mara scribbling something furiously on the paper and Mick with his arm around her feigning interest. "So, what'll it be?" He gave her a wry smile before replying," Scotch neat." She gave him an indignant look before implying that he really 'knew' his drinks.

As she grabbed the glass, he took a while to look at her. She looked just like Mara but with laughlines, and shorter cropped hair that was graying. She was incredibly fit being a hockey player. In essence though her appearance was similar to Mara's, she was the polar opposite.

Pushing the drink towards him on the counter, she asked," So how have you been doing, Jerome?" He shrugged out of habit before taking a sip. "I know you still love her." Sighing, he looked her in the eye and said," She's forgotten." She nodded, understanding what he was going through.

He stared at his drink for a while, swirling the brown liquid in the cup. "I always knew she was oblivious," she commented, sipping her own drink," It'll get better Jerome." Talking to her was almost like talking to Mara. Sometimes, though, it wasn't enough. He missed talking to her about all his worries, he missed being able to say anything on his mind.

"I know... I think I'm gonna go to my room now." He almost laughed when he called it his room. Being there for nine summers did make it somewhat his room. She nodded and shot him a final sympathetic look. As he walked pass the living room he caught a glance of the couple again, and suppressed the urge to sigh.

As he entered the room, he felt the familiar feeling of nostalgia wash over him. Only a few of his possessions remained in the room like a rare picture of him and his sister Poppy, and a few knick-knacks that he had bought with Mara last summer at the Carnival. His bed was plain the only special thing being the custom pillow Mara made during a phase where she was obsessed with crocheting. It read,' Stay Gold', a quote from the Outsiders, a book they both read in the seventh grade, a book they both cherished long after they had finished reading.

Drawing himself to the window, he smiled at the view of the tree that they had planted when they were younger. He recalled how he had complained fervently due to the hard work and how she had laughed at his witty remarks. A swing hung from one of the lowest branches. How was it possible that they had shared so much together and yet she barely acknowledged him? Even the warm sunlight couldn't dull the coldness he felt inside.

For the remainder of the afternoon, he stayed in the room, not wanting to face the fact that they would never be together. Pain struck his heart. His mind buzzed with depressing thoughts that he helplessly tried to squash. A soft knock at his door roused him from his stupor. "Jerome, you missed dinner." Mara said softly, not meeting his eyes. "Sorry, I was sleeping," he lied smoothly.

"Oh, well, Mick had to go to dinner with his parents, wanna go outside?" He nodded almost gleefully. Finally, time alone with Mara. The light of the day still clung to the sky, painting the sky blue and pink, the colors clashing like the palette of a careless artist. The summer air clung to his lungs, and after a few minutes he found himself wiping his brow from the smalls beads of sweat that emerged on his forehead.

She sat on the swing, her hands coiling nervously around the ropes, a blank expression on her face. He sat down, his back leaning on the rough bark of the tree. They couldn't talk like they had before. It was virtually impossible. Silence hung between like a thick, impenetrable wall. "Mara, do you remember our promise?" He asked, secretly hoping she did. Her expression failed to change, showing no unperceivable emotion.

"Huh?" She replied, still looking at something in the distance. He chuckled lightly, cursing himself for his stupidity. "We promised that we would marry each other, remember? It was after we were talking about gemstones." His eyes lingered on hers. "Jerome, that was when we were nine..." Trailing off, she resumed her silence. "Yeah, but I still remember that day, I remember how we promised each other, and I remember you kissing me." It was as if his heart had taken over. She replied not before laughing nervously," I kissed you?" He muttered an 'Mmhm'.

"I'm gonna go inside Jerome, I'm getting cold." And she did. His eyes burned from unshed tears. The fact that she thought kissing him was repulsive. In defeat, he stood up, and walked back inside into his room and locked himself away for the night. The dim candlelight was the only thing that lit up the room as he began leafing through old photos that he found in his drawer. Most of them were polaroids that he and Mara took when she had gotten a polaroid camera one summer. A small smile played at his lips as he remember how she had an intense fascination with everything, taking pictures of butterflies, flowers, their tree, and him.

His favorite was one of both him and Mara. They were twelve; it was when their friendship was slowly starting to die, but the memories, that laughter, the love was still very much alive. They had both been laughing while taking the picture, their smiles huge, almost manic; his arm was wrapped around her. She was squinting due to her laughter, her dimples obvious on her cheeks. The frame had,' Best Friends,' written on it, but the truth was so much more bittersweet. He remained in the room for the rest of the night, refusing to face her.

_And I built a home__  
><em>_For you__  
><em>_For me___

_Until it disappeared__  
><em>_From me__  
><em>_From you__  
><em>_And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust_

The night was unimpressive, boring, bland and yet Jerome still couldn't let himself sleep. He lay in a tangle of blankets and sheets, suddenly feeling sweaty restless. The smell of smoke still lingered in the stale air; it tainted his lungs. For the while, he lay there, consumed in his thoughts, the feeling of blackness comfortable around him. He heard when Mick came home, the sound of his unusual clunky steps signing that he was intoxicated. He could hear their muffled voices, as he said something that made her giggle. He could hear him take her to her room, the sounds of the squeaking bed, and later the moans that came with that. To Jerome, it felt like a piece of him had died. He scrunched the blankets in his hands until he knew his knuckles were white. A warm tear glided down his cheek as he finally felt himself succumb to it.

The next morning, he immediately felt everything from last night come back to him. He sat on the edge of his bed, reluctant to leave. He didn't want to see their flirtatious exchanges, for everything would come back to him, his mask would fall, he would break. Finally, he managed to drag himself out of the bedroom, putting his mask back on, he donned a smirk and walked out, hoping he looked contemptuous. "Well, well, well, look what we have here?" He commented walking into the dining room. The two blushed and let go of their hands connected on top of the table. "Shut it, Clarke," Mick commented, shooting him a glare.

Jerome stayed silent for a while, managing to grab a seat as far away from the 'happy' couple as he could. The three ate their breakfast in silence, but he could still see them sneaking glances at eat other while he pretended he couldn't see. "So," he started breaking the silence," weren't you two loud last night?" Mick immediately rubbed his temples in frustration and Mara seemed to shrink in her chair. "What's it to you Clarke? Jealous?" Jerome almost clawed at his throat right then and there but simply managed to calm down and reply," I'm saying, next time you plan on doing the deed at least have the decency to realize that the walls here are paper thin." And with that, he got up, and never spoke a single word about it again. Mara constantly was approaching him, trying to apologize for their less than admirable behavior, be he always found an excuse to leave at the very moment.

A sense of dread came over him whenever he had to talk to her anymore, all because of that moment. On his graduation day, he felt like he wanted to say something to her, to overcome that sense of dread but stopped himself reluctantly. If only he had known that on that very day Mick was going to propose. It made the big headlines at the school. Everyone talked afterwards, most people admiring the high school sweethearts as if their love was their inspiration when to Jerome it was all the more reason to leave.

His bag was packed and he was ready to leave Anubis, leave all the pain, sorrow, and strife that he had felt over the years, and yet also leave the happiness and cherished memories he and Alfie had made. There was a soft knock on his door and he opened it expectantly. "Hi Poppy," he said, trying to mask his sadness. In response, she merely hugged his midsection, sobbing lightly. He couldn't blame her. He was the only reason that she had gone to this school, and now he was leaving everything including her. Guilt riled up within him. Throughout the years, she had helped him achieve so much; she made the experience somewhat bearable. For a while they stood there, his free hand stroking her hair as she cried.

Losing him and Mara, one of her closest friends was traumatic for her as well. Mara was the reason that they were brought together, Mara was the reason that they found their father despite everything that was against them. "J-Jerome, I'm gonna miss you…" She breathed. Squeezing her one final time, he finally managed to say," I will too, Poopy." She managed to laugh, but it was strangled. After they finally finished, she accompanied him out, sighing as she saw Mick and Mara together. "She's an idiot you know. She chose a guy that has no future over you, the future ruler of the world." He laughed at this. His sister, despite their bickering relationship always made him laugh.

She walked him to the cab, his arm around her, comforting her. As they approached the cab, he felt himself reluctant to leave her, to leave everything. "I guess this is goodbye." They hugged one final time before leaving. Years passed from that moment, them both staying in contact, but things never really going back to the way they were. After he graduated university and got a job, he finally felt like he was recovering, recovering from all the pain that she had inflicting carelessly.

His work was more than enough to distract him from everything and all his memories. In fact, he invested so much into his work he managed to work his way up to the top in his law firm, something that he was somewhat proud of. All up until he got the wedding invitation. It had been a tiring Monday in which he was bombarded with nonsensical papers that seemed to pile up by the hour. "Mr. Clarke, here's your mail." He nodded towards his secretary before sifting through the mail, hoping to find something vaguely interesting. The invitation was a sickening shade of pink, too delicate and girly for Mara. The elegant script was a faded gray, making him don his reading glasses.

_You are Cordially Invited to the wedding of_

_Mick Campbell _

_And_

_Amber Millington_

_On the thirty first of November._

The thirty first, he thought, that's in a few weeks. Questions flew in mind. When had they gotten back together? Why had they gotten back together? Hadn't Alfie and Amber been an item before he left? And what about Mara, the girl that Mick was set on marrying? Bitter laughter almost fought its way out of him. Of course Mick went back to Amber. He always did. They were made to be together intellectually, and both had common interests. The days leading up to the wedding passed painfully, and he found himself using the calendar to mark off the days.

When the day came though, we barely remembered until he glanced over at his calendar. Scrambling to get ready, he grabbed a suit for later and made himself breakfast. He couldn't eat though. Honestly, he hadn't been really keeping in contact with the kids of Anubis besides Alfie, but Alfie didn't really count. It would be interesting to see how they had changed. His toast felt heavy in his mouth, the marmalade acting like glue, forcing him to chew slowly. When the time rolled around for him to go he felt the sense of uneasiness hang on him once again. Mara hadn't talked to him in years and all he could remember of her was a vague memory, an image of her innocence, he loving and caring demeanor, and her smile, the one that made his breath hitch. Cringing for acting like a girl, he got dressed and left, hoping that everything would go to plan.

He drove no music to accompany him on his journey. His emotions churned within him, his hands gripping the wheel. His palms were sweaty, slipping off the wheel. The scenery whizzed past him in a whir of grays, dull greens and blues. What if Mara had forgotten all about him? For years, he hadn't heard from her. Sure, he checked facebook and what not but slowly she stopped updating, the most recent picture of her being when she was still with Mick. _Mick, _Jerome thought, _the idiot._ In all his years in highschool he had tried to get Mara to like him, and yet, she desperately stuck to the idea that no one would ever be able to love her like Mick did.

No sooner had he let his thoughts slowly turn into useless ramblings had he arrived at the church. The actual building was quaint in itself, and had it not been for the pink that seemed to swathe the whole venue, he would have hardly noticed it. He walked in after he had parked, half awestruck and put off at how much they had spent on the wedding. Just outside, flowers overflowed in pots, letting off a sickly sweet flowery smell. Wandering under a trellis that loomed outside the entrance of the church, he didn't feel shocked at how much the interior had change. Similar to the outside of the building, flowers lined the outside rows. Pink and cream fabric hung from the rafters in the ceiling, fluttering delicately in the draft. Another trellis stood at the altar, less elaborate then the one outside, but still, it was there.

His eyes scanned the crowd in hopes of finding Mara. He didn't, and hardly recognized anyone until he found Joy sitting in the back row. Her hair looked the same as it always had tied back in a bun. Her eyes and cheeks looked hollowed out, and her face looked like she was constantly sucking in huge amounts of air. From what he remembered, Joy was not a reserved kind of person, but here she looked sullen. "Long time no see Joy," a draft seemed to chill him. "Jerome, how nice. I'm guessing you're the only other member of Anubis that didn't make it on the wedding squad." Jerome felt puzzled at this, and sat down next to her. "Come on Jerome, don't you think it's funny that there are no other Anubis members in sight? I mean, Amber doesn't exactly like me and Mick… Let's be honest, he hates you." He laughed at this. Mick had never that a secret.

It was always, blame Jerome! Just because Mick was always the subject of his pranks… "How've you been doing Joy?" She pursed her lips for a moment before replying," Got a job at Women's Weekly, single, by the way, but still the same old Joy." Was he coming on to her? It was laughable. Their conversation was short lived as the groom came up to the altar and everyone settled. The Wedding March started playing loudly on an organ filling the whole church with its sweet but empty tune. He studied Mick. Same blonde hair, same smug expression. An overwhelming urge to punch him crept over Jerome only to be quelled by the fact that the bride had started walking in.

Obviously the church hadn't been the only thing that Amber blew her money on. Her dress was simple enough, but her train extended for at least two meters. Her head was covered in a fairy like veil, her face still partially visible. Then the bride's maids started walking in, mostly because of the fact that they had to carry her train. He identified Patricia, Nina, Piper, and Mara? Mara was a bride's maid? How ironic, he thought, that the girl that came between them once was now a bride's maid. She looked exactly like she had when he last saw her. Her hair hung at shoulder length, curly like it had been in her sophomore year. She wore minimal makeup, highlighting her cheekbones and her beautiful, deep eyes.

Dress wise, she looked as horrible as the others. Obviously Amber had forced them into horrible dresses to make herself look better. Typical Amber, he thought. The wedding ceremony continued on and he continually stared in her direction, hoping she would make eye-contact with him. He noticed that her eyes shone, probably from tears. No one could blame her. Imagine how it would feel seeing your best friend and your ex-boyfriend getting married. Giving up, he looked at all the stained glass windows in the church, and admired how they copied their patterns onto the ground. Three cherubs, one Mary, one Jesus.

"I do," Amber almost knowingly squealed. "I pronounce you husband and wife." His arms pulled her close and they kissed. Jerome felt awkward watching them. It only seemed like yesterday they had broken up and he had left her. The crowd slowly, after the newlywed couple, left the building and watched the two drive away in a car to the reception. Jerome, using his height, looked for her. As the crowd started to disperse to their cars, he noticed Mara. She had definitely been crying and trudged towards her car. Sighing, he did the same, regret weighing him down. He was just about to leave when he received a text message from her.

_To: Jerome_

_From: Unknown_

_Message:_

_Can you come to the house again? This last time?_

He did. The speed limit didn't seem to apply to him as he sped towards the dusty old forgotten house. It was exactly that. The door looked like it had been eaten out by termites. The windows were clouded with dust. He walked through the house with a renewed sense of wonder and excitement. Time froze inside the house, everything left as it once was. Pillows fluffed, chairs pin straight and organized. He approached the door as his nervousness grew. Once he stepped out though, he realized that it wasn't just his nervousness that had grown.

_Out in the garden where we planted the seeds__  
><em>_There is a tree that's old as me__  
><em>_Branches were sewn by the color of green__  
><em>_Ground had arose and passed its knees_

The garden he had kept dear in his heart was disfigured. The grass was tall enough to pass his knees. The bushes that once lined the fence spilled over onto the ground, growing taller as well, shading the whole garden. Their tree still stood, taller than ever, hunching over at the top as if it were an old man, looking down at his childhood, his origin. Mara sat on the swing, head down, and hair covering her face. "Mara?" He called out softly, not wanting to trigger any emotions. She met him with a face that screamed sadness. Stupid, stupid Mick.

He kneeled in front of her as she sat on the swing. She looked so innocent, so pure, so… Mara. The corner of her mouth quirked in a small smile and he felt some relief. "Jerome, you came," Of course he came. As hard it was to admit, he loved her. He loved how she became consumed in her reading. He loved how her nose crinkled when she laughed. He loved how she acted motherly to anyone she knew. And most of all, he loved her for the fact that she cared about him. Of course, she loved him as a friend and he would not jeopardize the relationship.

"Of course I came Mara," He rested his hands on her knees, and she shifted for a few seconds. Bad sign. "I know you'd probably want to be at the reception right now." Jerome scoffed, and drawled rather sarcastically," Yes. I would love to see everyone coo over the newlyweds while stuffing myself with countless pieces of cake." She giggled at this, then resumed looking away, somewhere far away in the distance thinking remembering that she was supposed to be sad.

"When did you two break up?" She went on to tell him how the strain of him transferring over to college in America and her staying in the UK hurt their relationship. He had broken up with her when they finally met up again, and they hadn't talked since. "I had no idea he was back together with Amber until I was asked to be a bride's maid. Even then I was… hesitant, to put it in the least. It just felt incredibly awkward, I mean, how do I put this, Mick looked so happy, so content, not how he looked like with me. At least they have each other." All Jerome wanted to say was that she was perfect, and that she shouldn't doubt that but the words didn't process.

"I was about as shocked as you were, except for the part that I wasn't actually part of the wedding party. Guess Mickey still hasn't gotten over his old problems with me." Mara laughed airily," Jerome, you were horrible to him. You always pranked him!" He gasped in mock exasperation," I did no such thing. You must be confusing me with my evil twin, Alfie." And they laughed. Laughed for a while before she stated, plain and clear," I don't think anyone will ever love me." Jerome's senses seemed to sharpen. How could she say that? He loved her every day in high school and yet she never noticed! He admonished himself mentally. It's not her fault Jerome, he thought, she was too oblivious to see it.

She still was, choosing to ignore how he looked at her with such affection, such lust. _Mara! I love you, I've always loved you. I loved you from the first day I met you. _He wanted to say that, he wanted to tell her everything he felt. Knowing her, she would analyze the statement and say that love at first sight was impossible. She would be right. It was more like… infatuation at first sight, with the added effects of chemistry. Yes, that made more sense. If only he could get himself to say it. "Me either," he settled on the statement.

Once he looked up at her, he was relieved that she looked shocked. "But Jerome, I mean, you have a good job, you're witty, romantic, why wouldn't anyone want you? I bet you have girls begging for your phone number. To think that you think you'll end up alone is ridiculous. You need to stop being so hard on yourself Jerome…" He stopped listening as she dragged on about some girl Karen from work who was desperately looking for a man like him. "… What's been stopping you Jerome?"

He snapped. "Because I love someone who doesn't even care!" Silence descended on them faster than Alfie when he heard the words,' Alien Sighting' in a sentence. "Is it Amber?" He barked out a laugh. "No, but it is someone that went to Anubis." She considered this for a moment, gnawing on her lower lip and dragging a hand through her hair. Jerome lay down in the grass and waited for her to say something. He waited for her to realize that he in fact was talking about her.

"It's Joy, isn't it?"

"No."

" 'Kay then… It's Patricia!"

"No."

"Is it Nina?"

"No."

"Piper?"

"For fucks sake Mara! It's you!" His outburst surprised both of them. She looked genuinely hurt. _Because I love someone who doesn't even care, _He hoped that the words hit her hard. "Me? You l-love me?" He rolled his eyes. He had been waiting to tell her that for years now, and she still hesitated. "Mara," he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, knowing that these words could potentially ruin the friendship that they were putting back together ," I was… infatuated with you ever since that summer with the birthstones. Only then had I noticed how much I liked you. I could only think about how pretty and smart you were, and how nice you were to me. You didn't like me back. I tried to tell you Mara, believe me, but you never bothered to listen. You fawned over Mick all the time, you treated him top rate but you didn't care about me. So yes, it's you."

_By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top__  
><em>_I climbed the tree to see the world__  
><em>_When the gusts came around to blow me down__  
><em>_I held on as tightly as you held onto me__  
><em>_I held on as tightly as you held onto me_

"I remember," it was a quiet whisper. "What?" She shook her head. "We promised to marry each other out here." "Yah, and?" Shaking her head yet again, she told him to sit up. "And… this," while he was kneeling and she sat on the swing, they matched each other's heights. She leaned in and he followed suit. Her breath tickled his neck. Their lips connected, soft and sweet. He could vaguely taste strawberries and mint. His hands wrapped around her waist pulling her closer than he had ever pulled her before, feeling delight in the fact that she didn't push him back. Taking more initiative, her fingers snaked up his back and tangled through his golden hair. Electricity, passion, and strawberries. That was their kiss.

"I love you too Jerome." He merely placed his lips on hers once more, no longer feeling empty without her kiss.

___And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust_

**~0o0o0o0~**

**Well, that took a long time to write. I'm just glad that's over. Song is 'To Build a Home' by the Cinematic Orchestra, go check them out, it's an epic song.**

**And reviewers, anonymous and/or registered, should I write and epilogue?**

**Eskimo Kisses,**

**z3stygurl97**


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